#neuvillette cameo
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baker!wrio stuffs from my twitter that I forgot to post here
#wriothesley#sigewinne#genshin impact#yes its based on the bakery jokes and he's now a literal baker#neuvillette cameo
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Oh, the man he is... (Wriothesley x Reader)
Wriothesley x fem!reader; fluff, shared feelings, implied mutual pining or some sorts
+ Sigewinne, Furina, Neuvillette appeared as cameos!
You had agreed to extend your work in the Fortress, much to Wriothesley’s delight. However, recently, he found it harder and harder to spend time with you, and it left him feeling restless.
((The story is a sequel of my previous fic here! Although you can always read it separately, the build-up is somewhat connected to the previous one))
Words: 3.1k
Notes:
I’ve always wanted to do the continuation of my previous stories, but I clearly went overboard for this one since I didn’t plan this to be this long. But, I mean, it’s Wriothesley, who could resist? ;)
and don't judge the title pls HELP
Enjoy the story!
•~•~•~•
No, Wriothesley wasn't a jealous man.
As a responsible warden of the fortress, he remained focused on his professional duties, fully acknowledging the demands they entailed.
However, ever since you’ve agreed to extend your work at the Fortress of Meropide—with Neuvillette’s permission, of course, Wriothesley had unconsciously developed a habit of seeking you out—whether it was to hand you some documents or simply to ask about your day.
Yet, it had been a week since he had a proper conversation with you, since the conflicting work schedules you two had left little time to spend with each other. And somehow, it was starting to bother Wriothesley more than it should.
Wriothesley exhaled as he stood up from his office seat, leaving piles of documents sprawled on his desk. Despite his usual preference for lunching in his office, he found himself walking towards the cafeteria.
As he approached the bustling cafeteria, his hopes lifted momentarily when he saw you already seated, only to deflate when he spotted you already seated… with another young man in front of you.
Oh. He thought to himself.
In that moment, he recalled that your latest work involved cooperation with some of the fortress’ members. Right, it was business matters and he’s the Duke of Meropide, he got nothing to worry about, right?
So, he greeted you, asked about your day, and went back to his office.
•~•~•~•
Wriothesley surely wasn’t a jealous man...
Another day, he discovered that you were done for the day as your work for the day was finished. He was just about to step out of his office to search for you when, to his surprise, you appeared right in front of the office doors. What luck, he thought to himself. However, your sheepish smile hinted at something else.
“Oh, hi, um— I’m here to tell you that I won’t be here for the weekend.”
His plans to ask you out crumbled inside his head.
“Oh, you got called in by the court?”
“No, but I’ve got other things to do,” you replied as you gave him an apologetic smile. “Is that okay?”
Well, he couldn't just outright refuse; after all, you deserved a break too. However, his mind raced, wondering about the nature of the 'other things' you had mentioned. Was it work-related? Or perhaps it was something more private?
"Of course, don’t worry about it," Wriothesley reassured you with a smile, trying to bury his own thoughts as he mentally cursed himself for his train of thought. "I'll see you next Monday then."
You thanked him and went off. He sighed, hoping that you would be available for the weekend so he could at least ask you out. But for now, he would have to wait.
•~•~•~•
Wriothesley definitely wasn’t the jealous type... or so he believed.
But lately, he couldn't shake this nagging feeling of restlessness. You seemed busier than ever, going back and forth between the surface and the fortress. And, to make matters worse, you were spending less time with him compared to a certain assistant. This young man had been assisting you in the latest case at the fortress, and he seemed to be handling it well. In fact, it was Wriothesley himself who suggested you to appoint an assistant in order to lighten your workload—as you seemed to have some business to take care of on the surface, only to find himself now competing for your attention.
It was like his own idea to help you had turned against him, backfiring in the most frustratingly ironic way possible.
Massaging his temples, Wriothesley groaned as his thoughts swirled in his head.
“Feeling unwell, Your Grace?” Sigewinne's soft and cheery voice interrupted his brooding as she entered his office, carrying documents from the infirmary.
“Oh, Sigewinne, it’s nothing,” Wriothesley exhaled. “Thanks for the documents though.”
“If you’re wondering about y/n, she’s already gone to the surface,” Sigewinne said softly, yet, her tone masking a hint of mischief.
Wriothesley sighed in defeat. “Right, the event tomorrow. I figured she'd be attending.”
“Didn't she tell you?” Sigewinne asked innocently.
Oof.
Wriothesley fell silent, then replied, “No, but I had a hunch.”
“I saw her heading to the surface with Antonio—the assistant, did I get his name right? I heard there’s a ball in the event, right? Maybe they’re preparing for it,” Sigewinne added, her smile widening just a bit, her eyes anticipating his reaction.
Wriothesley lifted his head to stare at Sigewinne, at a loss for words.
Wait, were you actually planning on dancing together with Antonio?
She giggled innocently at his reaction before continuing.
“But you’ll be there too, Your Grace. And for security reasons, I don’t see any problem,” she chirped, her amusement evident in her voice.
With a grumble, Wriothesley stood up and headed straight to his room. “Security reasons, right… I’ll need to think about tomorrow's outfit then…”
Sigewinne watched him go, giggling softly to herself.
“Racing hearts, rising blood pressure, uneasiness. Yep, those are the physical symptoms of jealousy, alright,” Sigewinne mused to herself.
“Human emotions are truly interesting.”
•~•~•~•
You stared at the dress laying on top of your bed at your dwelling in the surface, mentally preparing yourself up with confidence to wear it for the event tomorrow. In fact, Furina had picked the dress together with you. Classy, beautiful, drop-dead gorgeous; was what she commented. But honestly, when was the last time you'd slipped into something so elegant?
As you lay back on your bed, your mind wandered over the events of the past few weeks.
--few weeks before--
“A… ball, you said?”
"Yes, in fact, Lady Furina will be hosting the event. And we are expected to attend as representatives from the court," Neuvillette explained, his tone as flat as ever. Beside him, Lady Furina nodded eagerly. “The ball will pose as the closing ceremony.”
"Ah, I see... so the event about three weeks away," you replied, your confidence faltering slightly. "To be honest, I'm not exactly skilled at dancing..."
"Oh, nonsense! A Fontainian lady must know how to dance!" Lady Furina interjected, her voice brimming with determination. "Fear not! I'll personally train you at least twice a week until the ball. How does that sound?"
You swallowed nervously, anticipating her rigorous training methods. You glanced to Neuvillette, only to found him nodding in agreement.
"Um... alright, thank you for the offer, Lady Furina. I'll try to make time during the weekends."
"Excellent! It's settled then!" Lady Furina exclaimed with a wide smile, her hand clasped in front of his chest. "Meet me in front of my house this weekend!"
You closed your eyes, recalling the training sessions with Furina as you tried to gather your confidence for tomorrow. Although you could safely say you were doing okay-ish with the training, your mind kept wandering back to a certain man in the fortress, leaving you longing for the interactions you shared with him.
•~•~•~•
The next evening, the venue began to fill with people, the atmosphere bustling with liveliness. You positioned yourself near the Palais Mermonia members, keeping Neuvillette in your sight as you glanced over at Furina, who was already engaged in conversation with other people.
As you talked with various guests, your thoughts often drifted to whether Wriothesley would attend the ball. The idea of dancing with him crossed your mind, but so far, he was nowhere to be seen.
Come to think of it, you hadn’t told him a thing about your secret dancing lessons.
“You haven’t found a dance partner??” Furina's panicked tone was evident as she approached you, her arm linked with Neuvillette's, signaling that they would dance together.
“Um, well, not yet…” you mumbled, feeling a bit flustered.
“Oh, my! I won’t allow you wasting your skills today! Let me see…”
Furina pondered for a moment before suggesting a few Palais Mermonia attendees as potential partners. However, none of them really piqued your interest. If you want someone, it would be–
“Wriothesley is also attending this event too, in case you are wondering,” Neuvillette added suddenly, catching you off guard.
Your eyes widened slightly at the unexpected mention of Wriothesley's presence. You knew Neuvillette must be offering his personal opinion, perhaps based on his own observation of your close working relationship with the Duke, in addition with Wriothesley's request to extend your stay at the fortress. However, the comment had caught you off guard, and you went silent, a faint blush tinting your cheeks as you hid your excitement.
But your reaction had caught Furina’s attention as her smile turned into a mischievous grin. “Ah, the Duke of Meropide! How could I forget?” she exclaimed dramatically, holding her hand up to her face. “I saw him near the gardens earlier. You should go check him out!”
Although you realized her attempt on teasing you, you found yourself nodding hastily and made your way outside to the place she had mentioned.
“And the ball is starting in fifteen—!” Furina added rather enthusiastically, her voice trailing behind you.
And so, you went outside. The atmosphere was less crowded than indoors, but there were still plenty of people mingling about. You paced around in search of Wriothesley when suddenly, a young man intercepted you from the side, introducing himself.
“Good evening, m’lady. You're as lovely as a fresh rainbow rose. Would you do me the honor of a dance?”
“Thank you, but I’m actually looking for someone…” you began, trying to politely decline.
“A dance partner, perhaps?” he persisted, holding out a real rainbow rose this time.
“I’m sorry, but I really should— ,“ you attempted to excuse yourself, but he wasn't taking the hint.
“The ball's starting soon. It'd be a shame not to enjoy a dance with such a beautiful lady…”
Feeling pressured but unable to escape his persistence, you were about to step away, but a reassuring hand suddenly clasped your waist, holding you close from the side.
“The lady clearly indicated she wasn't interested.”
Relief flooded through you as you immediately recognized the voice. Looking up, you saw Wriothesley standing with a polite – or perhaps, intimidating – smile on his face, standing rather menacingly in front of the persistent man. The young man went off immediately, clearly taking Wriothesley’s cue.
After the man had hurriedly retreated, Wriothesley released his arm from your waist and turned towards you, his gaze lingering for a moment, a small smile playing on his lips as he took time to admire your delightful appearance. He then bowed slightly towards you, lifting your hand with a gentle touch and pressed a small kiss to the back of it.
“M’lady,” he murmured, his voice low and husky.
You were stunned by his gentlemanly gesture, as you just felt a flutter of butterflies inside your stomach. “Wriothesley…” You found yourself momentarily at a loss for words, struck by how incredibly charming he appeared in his formal attire.
“You look stunning,” he complimented, his warm gaze met yours, a stark contrast to the coolness of his icy-colored eyes. You shyly thanked him for his kind words, feeling a warmth spreading through you at his sincere compliment.
As the two of you were lost in the brief moment of admiring each other, he cleared his throat, subtly regaining his composure as he glanced around. “…Are you perhaps, waiting for someone?” he asked as his curiosity piqued.
“Oh, well, I was…”
Wriothesley immediately caught onto your choice of words.
“You… were?”
“Mhm, but not anymore,” you replied with a warm, sheepish smile.
A hint of confusion flickered across Wriothesley's face, his thoughts momentarily jumbled. Wait, so you weren't waiting for Antonio, which meant…
You sensed his slow realization and couldn't help but let out a small laugh as you added, “You, Wriothesley. You’re the one I’ve been searching for.”
Your words came out cheesier than intended, and you felt a blush creeping up your cheeks as you scrambled to explain. But Wriothesley did not seem to care as his smile grew wider. It was what he had hoped to hear.
But then, before he could say anything, your attention shifted to the direction of the building, with the music began playing from inside the hall, signaling that the ball had already begun as people started flocking into the building.
Observing the dwindling crowd, Wriothesley turned to look at you. “As much as I want to dance with you, I don’t think we’ll make it in time inside.”
You returned his smile at his eagerness to dance with you. You looked around, taking in the serene atmosphere of the nearly empty garden. “It’s fine. Instead… I’d hate to miss the beauty of the moon tonight.”
He gave you an affectionate smile as he seemed to understood the hint, and extended his arm towards you. “Well then, m’lady, may I have the honor of a dance?”
With a nod, you gladly accepted his hand. “Of course, Your Grace,” you replied, earning a small chuckle from him at your sudden formality.
As the music played softly in the background and the moon cast its gentle glow upon you, you and Wriothesley began to dance. The waltz you had practiced with Furina proved its worth as you both moved gracefully under the enchanting night sky. You realized that you had been longing for his company for this whole time.
As you danced, you became acutely aware of the close proximity between you and Wriothesley. Your faces were just inches apart, and his eyes seemed to be locked onto yours with an intensity that made your heart race. His hand rested firmly on your back, providing a reassuring support, while the other held yours with a gentle yet firm grip.
“You dance well,” you whispered softly, breaking the silence.
“I could say the same about you,” he hummed, his eyes affectionately locked on yours as you two transitioned into a slower dance. “Have you been practicing in secret? Or were you just naturally gifted?”
You gave a small laugh at his remark. “Actually…” You paused, shying away for a bit. “I’ve been attending dance lessons with Lady Furina these past few weeks.”
“Oh? Is that why you've been going back and forth to the surface?”
“Mostly, yeah, since I agreed to return her favor,” you explained with a sheepish grin. “But she also roped me into helping compile some data for this event. I must thank you for offering me appointing an assistant to help with the job though. He really did his job well.”
“Wait, I thought he’s also coming to this event?” He stopped the slow dance momentarily, still holding you in his arms as he processed the new information.
“Antonio? No, he’s taking care of my duties today in the fortress, as I instructed him yesterday.”
Wriothesley went silent as everything seemed to click inside his mind, a chuckle escaping his lips, amused by his own thoughts. You looked at him in confusion, but he waved off your concern with a dismissive smile.
“Never mind, it’s not the time to dwell on petty things,” he said, his focus returning to you. “I don’t want to spoil the moment dancing with you tonight.”
You stared at him for a second, before nodding in agreement, letting go of any lingering questions inside you as you both resumed your dance under the enchanting moonlight. It felt like you were dancing without a care in the world, lost in each other’s embrace.
As the song reached its conclusion, you both stopped gracefully, locked in a gaze neither of you wanted to break. A warm smile played on your lips as you looked into his eyes, feeling the warmth of his gaze that he returned to you.
In that fleeting moment, as the night air wrapped around you like a gentle caress, there was a subtle shift in the atmosphere. His eyes began to flicker between your lips and your eyes. You were ready to surrender yourself into the silent invitation as you slowly leaned forwards, feeling his breath brush against your skin as your noses almost touching.
Seeing you responded to his silent cue, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Wriothesley's lips as he too began to close the gap between you, inching closer. Finally, his lips met yours as he kissed you gently, sealing the moment carefully with a tender embrace.
Despite your racing heartbeat, you melted into his soft kiss, feeling his hand cupping your cheek gently that made your heart flutter. As the air around you seemed to grow warmer with the intensity of the moment, you pulled back slightly, needing a moment to catch your breath. Your cheeks flushed with a rosy hue as you met his gaze with half-lidded eyes, the heat of the moment still lingering between you.
He leaned in closer, as if to pull you into another kiss, but then abruptly halted, his body rigid as his eyes widened slightly. He then quickly turned his head to the side facing the bushes, while his hand remained protectively on your waist.
“Who’s there?” he asked, his voice a bit demanding.
Slowly, a small figure behind starting to emerge behind the bushes, revealing Sigewinne who slowly tiptoed out.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Your Grace, I thought I was hiding well,” she said with a sheepish smile. “I didn’t want to bother, so I waited.”
Wriothesley immediately released his hand from your waist, bringing it to his face to hide his embarrassment. “Ah, it’s you…, what brings you here?”
“Monsieur Neuvillette was searching for you, and I happened to spot you here,” she explained, her tone light and playful.
Wriothesley let out an exasperated sigh, his hand falling to his side. “Right.”
Then, Sigewinne glanced at you with a mischievous gleam in her eye. “Looks like your jealousy was a tad unnecessary, Your Grace,” she teased.
“Huh, where did that come from?” Wriothesley responded with a bemused expression.
You stood there, momentarily stunned, before Sigewinne’s words finally sank in. “…Jealous? Of whom?” you asked, glancing between them in confusion, before it dawned on you as you recalled your lingering questions from your mind.
Wait…could it be?
A smile tugged at the corners of your lips as Sigewinne continued, “Ah, you see, this big man was actually jealous that new assis–”
“Ugh, spare me…” Wriothesley groaned, turning to walk away, not wanting to hear the rest of Sigewinne’s teasing. You laughed softly as you followed behind with Sigewinne as she started to explain her observationsfrom the past few weeks.
As you walked, you caught Wriothesley stealing a glance back at the two of you, a playful smirk tugged on his lips. It seemed like he was content with how things had turned out.
And so, the rest of the night unfolded with cheers and laughter, with everyone by your side. Despite the lingering feeling of a certain unfinished business, you couldn't wipe the smile from your face for the entire night.
After all, you now know that the feelings were mutual, right?
#wriothesley x reader#wriothesley fluff#wriothesley x you#genshin fanfic#genshin x reader#genshin impact#wriothesely x reader#wriothesley#genshin fluff#genshin impact fanfic#genshin impact x reader#genshin imagines#wriothesley x y/n
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Self-Aware! BSD x SAGAU Imposter crossover Masterlist
Ideas and headcannons
Two short ideas about Imposter SAGAU AU x Self-Aware BSD AU Crossover.
More short ideas about Imposter SAGAU AU x Self-Aware BSD AU Crossover
Self-Aware! BSD x SAGAU Imposter AU Crossover ideas. ADA Edition
About Heizou
Self-Aware! BSD x SAGAU Imposter AU Crossover ideas. Port Mafia Edition
How BSD Cast will treat people, who helped Reader
Self-Aware! BSD x SAGAU Imposter AU Crossover ideas. The Guild Edition
Self-Aware! BSD x SAGAU Imposter AU Crossover ideas. Rats in the house of the Dead and Decay of Angels Edition
Self-Aware! BSD x SAGAU Imposter AU Crossover ideas. Hunting Dogs Edition
Who helped Reader during Imposter Hunt
About Foul Legacy
Self-Aware! BSD x SAGAU Imposter AU Crossover ideas. The Government and Others Edition
About Nahida
Punishment for Fake Creator
Some questions about AU
More questions about AU
About Navia (And Neuvillette)
About Portals
About Kazuha and Venti
About Tsaritsa
About Thoma, Itto, Nilou, Yunjin, Xingqiu, Chongyun, Xinyan, Xiangling
More questions about AU. Part 2
More questions about AU. Part 3
Self-Aware! BSD x SAGAU Imposter AU Crossover ideas. BEAST Edition
About people, who helped
More about people, who helped
About reflections
About Arlecchino
About Scaramouche
About Teyvat Helpers again
More questions about AU. Part IV
Oneshots
Monster from the deep (Self-Aware! Howard Phillips Lovecraft x GN! Reader)
For your safety (Self-Aware! Tetchou Suehiro x GN! Reader)
Lost and found (Self-Aware! BSD Characters x GN! Reader)
He can't hurt anyone (Self-Aware! Saigiku Jouno x GN! Reader)
So much planning (Self-Aware! Dazai Osamu x GN! Reader x Self-Aware! Fyodor Dostoevsky)
Mora makes Teyvat go round (Self-Aware! Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald x GN! Reader)
When you were gone (Self-Aware! Nikolai Gogol x GN! Reader)
Truth of fallen god (Self-Aware! Chuuya Nakahara x GN! Reader)
If you were not alone
Part I (Self-Aware! Platonic! Aya Koda, Self-Aware! Platonic! Katsumi, Self-Aware! Platonic! Shinji, Self-Aware! Platonic! Kousuke, Self-Aware! Platonic! Sakura, Self-Aware! Platonic! Yuu)
Part II (Self-Aware! Platonic! Kenji Miyazawa, Self-Aware! Platonic! Kyouka Izumi)
Part III (Self-Aware! Hunting Dogs)
Part IV (Self-Aware! Platonic! Atsushi Nakajima, Self-Aware! Platonic! Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Self-Aware! Platonic! Lucy Maud Montgomery)
Part V (Self-Aware! Platonic! Ranpo Edogawa, Platonic! Nahida, Platonic! Furina. Aranaras. Melusines. Small Elynas Cameo)
Part VI (Self-Aware! Teruko Okura, Self-Aware! Fyodor Dostoevsky, Self-Aware! Howard Philips Lovecraft)
Part VII (Self-Aware! Chuuya Nakahara, Self-Aware! Doppo Kunikida, Self-Aware! Nikolai Gogol)
Part VIII (Self-Aware! Dazai Osamu, Self-Aware! Kunikida Doppo, Self-Aware! Atsushi Nakajima)
Part XI (Self-Aware! (Child!) Atsushi Nakajima, Self-Aware! (Child!) Akutagawa Ryunosuke)
#self-awarebsd#self-awareau#bungou stray dogs au#bsd#bungou stray dogs#bsd anime#bsd x gender neutral reader#gender neutral reader#imposter sagau#masterlist
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outside it starts to pour — neuvillette | chapter eight
synopsis: in the limelight of fontaine, the prying eyes of its people never truly tears their gaze off the iudex and you, the présidence du conseil d'état, which makes for baseless rumours to fester and echo throughout the theatrics of opera. you and neuvillette are challenged by the reputations the both of you are expected to uphold, and the weighty decision to navigate these intricacies rests upon the discerning judgement of fontaine's archon.
{ prev. } ; { nav } ; { next }
ao3 : wattpad ˚ .˚
⌗ pairing : neuvillette x fem!reader
⌗ feat : neuvillette, reader, furina, sedene, literal cameo of wriothesley, clorinde and navia, other melusine characters
⌗ warnings : n/a
⌗ word count: 6.5k
“Ouch! Sedene, can you go any tighter?” You really just intend on patting her arm to stop, but your hand meets her face and she reacts with a little squint to her nose.
You look under your arm, and find that she has tilted her head. “But isn’t it a Fontainian custom to tighten a corset to its limit? For a woman’s youthful look to ‘shine through’, as they say.”
“Well — my youthful look is going to turn into a wrinkly one if you’re going to constrict my airways.” The ironic thing is that, although you've had your share of tighter corsets and could wear them tighter yet, the issue persists; the innumerable comforts you've offered Neuvillette over the previous few days have served just as a distraction. You're still in excruciating pain.
The week had unfurled in a whirlwind of activity, traversing boutiques and bakeries alike, where both you and Monsieur Neuvillette took the painstaking sacrifice to your schedule to craft the wedding arrangements. Arguments, though not exempt, arose with discussions on which croquembouche would most harmoniously blend with the theme (Neuvillette eventually bent his opinion in your favour, your excuse being that he is not allowed one as his profession forbids him so). However, the task of securing the venue had been entrusted to Lady Furina's capable hands, and to Monsieur Neuvillette's discerning eye, her choice did not fail to impress.
In the days leading up to the wedding, the place at which you have been staying happens to be the very Palais Mermonia — and though you were initially apprehensive about living in the same place as your ‘fiance’, it was a strategic move, a calculated step on the chess board. It has proven to be of other conveniences as well: a shorter commute to your office and the excuse for leisurely strolls around the Palais grounds, weather permitting, which you’ve come to realise isn’t very often during this monsoon (odd how this period of the year in particular isn’t known for its rain, but then again, it never has really been consistent).
But out of all of the days where the rain poured and the levels rose dangerously high, a common denominator stood true: the Iudex of Fontaine, standing tall and erect over the balcony of the Palais, water matting his hair to his face, his robes to his skin.
You briefly recall the night in which you weren’t dressed in any garments but a nightgown, toeing lightly down the steps in hopes that you wouldn’t awaken anyone at such a late hour over a matter as trivial as a cup of tea.
If a memory is worth recalling, it is worth noting that embarrassment is one of its most prevailing factors. When it comes to you, of course.
And to see such a sight at such an hour had you almost playing death with the ceramic cup in your hand.
____
The Chief Justice of Fontaine stalks down the hallway, and though it is too dark to see the dampness of his clothes, you are sure of how he radiates a certain coolness, ridding wherever you are currently standing of warmth. His silhouette appears more fitted, a likely reasoning from the clothes that cling to his skin. For someone who sees nothing but the warm lights of the Opera, he is certainly of a robust build.
You don’t think he sees you when he almost slams into you with the full force of his momentum. A most depressing sight turns out to not be the both of you, but the lemon tea that spilled onto the marble floor.
“There goes my cover. And my midnight tea.”
The clarity in the whites of his eyes grow more pronounced, the adrenaline-fueled rush that spurred his almost inhuman speed beginning to fade. “Goodness, I am sorry. Let me make another cup for you.”
“No, really, it’s fine. I’m very much hydrated now that you’ve decided to show up,” you jab, eyeing him from head to toe. It's doubtful that he notices your scrutiny, though if he does, you hope he realises it's not in a particularly flattering light — more of a bemused acknowledgment of his somewhat unkempt appearance. Most definitely up to par with his reputation, you muse.
(Is it just you, or did the rain stop?)
He shoots you a fatigued smile in the dim-light. “I was just about to make myself a kettle of tea, to soothe the nerves. I could pour you a glass, if you’d like?”
“If you insist.” You finally look him in the eye, a subtle gleam of indigo glowing against the night.
And with a midnight snack consisting of awkward small talk and sips of tea, you wish you never rolled out of bed to begin with.
___
“Earth to you?” Sedene taps at your hip, but such a gesture would’ve gone unnoticed had it not been for her insistence. The corset you wear is the main culprit, taking the jabs of her hand.
“Yes? Is something the matter?”
“Does it feel better now?” She finishes, the discomfort increasing once she finishes tying the knot at the base of your waist.
“Yes, thank you Sedene.”
If anyone were to barge into the room at this particular moment, you would have been set for utter humiliation on your wedding day. You are clad in nothing but a corset and an underskirt — surely a most scandalous sight!
Sedene calls for someone to grab the dress off its hanger, and you see Kiara peek from a corner, clearly struggling under its weight. You immediately rush to take it from her hands, and you notice her immediate expression of relief. How adorable.
With a swift move, you retreat behind the privacy of the changing screen. The gown’s delicate lace and silk shimmer softly, catching glimpses of the stream of light peeking through the window. With a gentle touch, you slip into the gown, but the sleeves, as if possessing a will of their own, elegantly drape over your arm, reluctant to rest precisely where intended.
You glide towards the dressing table, greeted by a reflection unfamiliar in its elegance. Flowers weave delicately through your hair, stray curls framing the soft contour of your cheeks. The white wedding gown, meticulously tailored, drapes like a dream, its sleeves sitting off your shoulders, leaving them bare. Slipping on your lace gloves, you make a statement to have the engagement band to remain on your the ring finger of your right hand.
The two share reactions in astonishment, with Sedene voicing "Oh, wow," in disbelief, affirmed by Kiara's nod of agreement.
You gently smooth down the gown, then look a little forward to see the two of them waddling toward you, all smiles. Returning the warmth, you affectionately pat both of their heads. “And you two as well.” They had eagerly volunteered to be the flower girls ( you harbour doubts, having spotted them in the Chief Justice's office—a more likely scenario being that Neuvillette ordered them so), and were thus given sky blue dresses to wear.
Kiara hands Sedene a translucent cloth, and Sedene promptly relays it out to you. “Would you like me to put on the veil for you?”
“It’s quite alright, I can manage.” Playing with it in your hands, Kiara takes her leave, but Sedene stays. Your eyes follow her as she slips past the door, but she stops, seemingly greeted by someone on the other end.
Focused as you are, it is diverted when Sedene taps your hand. “You do not seem happy.”
This prompts your smile to drop. “What do you mean? Can’t you tell that I am from my smile alone?”
“A smile it is, yes, but it is a smile that doesn’t quite reach your eyes. Your expression is the textbook definition of joy, yet I cannot help but feel like you are anything but.”.
Your fingers pinch at the bodice, and you try your best to keep composure. If someone were to see you like this, it would be only you. Not Clorinde, not Sedene, and certainly not that Iudex. “It is nothing to be concerned about, Sedene. I am just fine.”
She blinks, and you think she doesn’t really believe you. “Alright then, if you say so. I'll call for Monsieur Neuvillette—see you at the venue! And in case I haven’t mentioned it yet, you look absolutely stunning.”
“Ah, thank you Sedene. You flatter me too much.”
She smiles and walks toward the door, closing it gently behind her, yet it fails to muffle the voices emanating from the other side.
The resounding echo of the door's closure bears down upon the room, casting the weight of burden in the now still silence. How could you have possibly subjected yourself to this stupid, senseless excuse of an arrangement? With hesitant steps, you approach the mirror, only to be met with a stranger's visage staring back, prettied and prepped for a sale that was never your choosing. Today is supposed to be an opening of a new chapter, of a life you haven’t lived, yet why does it feel like you are the corpse in a casket, awaiting your own burial?
With a shaky effort, you steady your fingers under your eyes to stop the tears from ruining your makeup. Not here, not anywhere, you assure yourself, hoping that if you bite it back, the feeling will eventually go away.
You try to affix the veil to your head, but it slips off to the right, resisting your attempts to secure it to your head. In an act of desperation and haste, you remove it, cautious not to catch any stray hairs — only to discover that your subsequent attempt moves it too far back. With your vision blurring from the effort, you reluctantly decide to leave it be.
Time does not wait for you to wallow in self pity, and instead it sends you something even more frustrating to get your mind off it.
“Mon coeur?” a deep voice whispers from the other side of the door, but you don’t have to think to recognise who it is.
“Monsieur Neuvillette?” you question in return, a hopeless act of confirmation.
Wiping your eyes, you take in a sharp breath before allowing him to come in. He stands apprehensively by the doorway, wearing a white suit with blue accents on its lapels. Given how the outfit bears elements to his everyday wear, you entertain yourself with the notion that work life never seems to leave him, no matter the circumstance.
Monsieur Neuvillette, the Chief Justice of Fontaine, is comically frozen in his place.
You raise an amused brow. “What are you staring at?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all,” he says, blinking, before proceeding to shut the door behind him, beginning to walk toward you with a hesitant pace.
You flash him a brief, cordial smile, but a grimace manages to fight through. “You ready?”
He stops before he can get too close. “I’ve spent days convincing myself that I was, but to tell you the truth, I am not so sure,” he whispers, gaze lingering on the flowers woven through your hair, to the earrings clasped to either side of your ears. He does not dare look any further.
Neuvillette finds himself at a loss for words. Should he offer you words of comfort? No, that would only rile you further.
The two of you motion to different spots in unison, lips parting to say similar words.
“I bought you a gift —”
“No, please, your gift first—”
“I insist that you present to me my gift first, to avoid disappointment.” You think he takes it lightly when he chuckles. But for once, it truly isn’t in jest.
“I thought this gift would be fitting.” He reaches into his breast pocket and presents to you a bag. Curiosity piqued, your brows raise. It doesn’t take much discerning to realise that the fragrance emanating from it is, in fact, a handpicked array of tea packets.
“Oh. Thank you for this, I needed to restock my stash of it but I had gotten a little lazy in doing so.” You fidget with the bag antsily, taking a peek at the content. Pulling the drawstring closed, you face Neuvillette, to whom returns the look with an expectant one. “If you’d just give me a moment.”
Pacing toward the dressing table, you reach for his gift, making an effort to avoid your reflection in the mirror. You turn around and meet his eyes, only for him to break it and find interest in a… pot?
You walk over to him and simply hand him the gift. “A notebook — for when inspiration strikes you at all the wrong times.”
“Ah, thank you. A very thoughtful present —”
“Don’t think too hard about it, Monsieur. It’s just Fontainian custom.”
A pained smile paints his short lived, light manner, and he tugs at the elastic that keeps the notebook from opening of its own will like a boy who's never seen a toy quite so fascinating. “Does it hurt to appreciate a gift?”
A spike of childish reminiscence leaves your lips before you can think anything of it. “On apprécie mieux le soleil quand on a connu la pluie.” We appreciate the sun better when we have known the rain.
Neuvillette’s expression softens into recognition. “On trouve toujours que la douleur est moins amère après l'avoir sentie quelque temps,” We always find that pain is less bitter after we have felt it for a while. “That quote derives itself from an old play. How did you come to know of it?”
“Well, Monsieur, like any normal person, I had interests. I was once a fan of the arts, poetry, plays, you name it — but look at where I ended up.”
“I never knew you were so attuned to the fine arts. I should have purchased an anthology if I knew of it.”
“Dwelling on it won’t do anything, Chief Justice,” you stop to adjust your glove. “Is our escort here yet? The wedding reception begins in under two hours.”
“We shall anticipate their arrival within ten minutes. Shall we adjourn to the entrance promptly?”
If you were anymore rushing with adrenaline you would’ve answered immediately, but you notice that your head feels a little bare. “I certainly do wish that were the case — but I do still have a veil to put on. So if you don’t mind.”
“Alright then. I shall be waiting by this very couch.” He points to the leather seat you’ve grown accustomed to in your stay in the Palais, and promptly sits, making sure to look away.
For the nth time today, you make your way to the vanity, and try again. It almost drives you mad at how it just cannot sit right, and your heart pounds anxiously against your chest as if in sync with the intrusive ticking of the nearby clock.
A distant voice interrupts your struggle. “Do you require hel—”
“No. I am fine. Just, ever so amazingly, fine.” Your response is tinged with sarcasm, a hint of irritation slipping through despite your attempts to mask it.
Ignoring Neuvillette's persistent offers of assistance, you wrestle with the veil again. And again. And again. Each attempt is punctuated by audible sighs of exasperation, likely loud enough for him to hear from across the room.
With your eyes still trained on the reflection of the veil, you ask the other person occupying the room an offhand question: “Do you remember when you asked if I needed help?”
“Yes, I do remember it very well.”
“Well I think an emergency such as this is worth warranting help.”
Before you can even finish your sentence, he rises gracefully from his seat. As he moves closer, occupying space in the reflection beside you, his eyes lock onto yours with a depth of uncertainty that sends a shiver down your spine. Ego aside, you feel bare, stripped, vulnerable.
His words brush against the nape of your neck. “Do inform me if my touch proves too unyielding,”
You take a nervous gulp and choose a nod over words, fearful that any utterance might betray your inner turmoil. Neuvillette deftly accepts the veil from your hands, then gently pushes a few strands back with a practised touch. His left hand traces your bare shoulder, a fleeting warmth that tantalises before dissipating, now lingering at the very lobe of your ear — and your lungs begin to plead for more air as you begin to hear your heart beating against your skull, the cloth of the Iudex’s suit the sole barricade between scandal and sin.
But there’s no one to stop you.
“That is enough,” you remark, turning to face him with a newfound resolve — and in that instant, a dawning horror grips you, realising it to be a grave oversight. There is something terribly wrong with the air in this room! Your eyes, usually sharp and commanding, now betray a flicker of uncertainty, quickly masked by a defiant lift of your chin. It doesn’t seem to last, your authority dwindling — robbing you of composure, the marble floors swirling in your vision; your high ground caves beneath you and it stirs a strange, undefinable confusion of feeling. It's as if all sense and logic have been threatened by his proximity alone, his face uncomfortably near yours, hand still in your hair. Despite the undeniable allure that you might grudgingly acknowledge, your stance remains firm, a silent refusal to entertain such thoughts, buried beneath the weight of your loathing for him.
Pull yourself together. This is the man who ruined your life.
You swat his hand away with a quick, dismissive motion — a gesture of indifference, of your forced aversion. There's a fleeting expression of disappointment that crosses his features, but you steel yourself against any sympathy, unwilling to entertain thoughts of his feelings. Instead, you draw in a deep breath, the cool air filling your lungs as you straighten your posture, a silent act of regaining control over your emotions.
“Did I clip it on too tight?”
“No. No you didn’t,” you say, taking an awkward step backwards. “It’s fine, you did half of the work.”
His eyes do not leave yours — a narrowing, apprehensive gaze that has you fighting against all your composure.
You take a brief once-over of yourself in the mirror before letting out a breathless, dry laugh. “We should get going.” He really did good work on that cloth — but what is to be made of him as a husband (however temporary) if he wasn't able to do something as simple as clipping something in your hair?
His engagement ring glints in the blooming sun. “We shall.”
____
The hour preceding the arrival of guests is nothing short of chaos, with eager individuals clamouring at the doors of the coach in a flurry of excitement. With all your judgmental tendency, you cannot help but regard them with a tinge of annoyance, at their fervour for a touch of fame, at a corrupt ideology planted into them — a flaw they have no one to blame for but themselves. An imperceptible roll of your eyes goes unnoticed by the man next to you, who seems nothing but aloof amidst the commotion.
“How civil,” you chide, clearly amused at the state of madness possessing these people.
“Ah, well,” Neuvillette replies with a knowing smile, “I suppose you're quite familiar with their ways, given your role as the Head of Civil Affairs.”
“Archons forbid a woman be fascinated,” you muse, a sneer making its way to replace the frown that had come to form since your time in the Palais.
The man at the wheel swerves to the right, and you grip onto the handle by your side of the coach, but the effort is fruitless when you end up scooted up against your fiancé’s arm. Before Neuvillette can make a reaction of it, you step on all of whatever he might be thinking. “I know, I know, you think I cannot get enough of you.”
The Iudex uses his right arm to help yourself back up — but you shake your head. His brows furrow. “I beg your pardon?”
“It’s called humour, Monsieur. You’re going to need some of it.”
He says nothing.
After what feels like aeons, the coach jerks to a sudden halt — and before you can lurch forward, Neuvillette instinctively extends his arm to shield you.
You eye his arm with a raised brow. “That wasn’t required of you.”
Though visibly hurt, he soundlessly slips his arm away, and turns to open the door.
Reaching to do the same, you find that Neuvillette happened to reach an inhumane speed and is now opening yours. He offers his hand, but you find support in the handle near your seat instead.
But there is one important thing you seem to forget. Eyes follow.
Neuvillette seems to come to the same conclusion and gives you a knowing look. You begrudgingly accept his hand, heels meeting on cement.
You wish not to engage in whatever he seems to be planning behind those eyes that gleam like ice: cold and unforgiving, and yet, you realise this is what you’ve signed your life for — to act, to be a pawn mercilessly thrown around on the table.
Standing at the precinct of the mairie, amidst the bustling noise, a stark loneliness envelops you. You're about to walk down the aisle as an orphan, bereft of a mother's reassurance or a father's farewell kiss. Gripping Neuvillette a little tighter, you cling to the only semblance of support and he stops (everyone else surrounding the barricade does too, but you pay it no mind).
___
Judging by Lady Furina’s shriek at your appearance, you sense her disapproval of how you look. “Y—Your makeup! It’s smudged! Oh God.”
Your hand hesitantly brushes against your cheek, detecting the subtle dampness where your makeup has indeed betrayed you. With a superficial calmness, you respond, “It should be expected, Lady Furina, given the unpredictability of the weather as of late.” Despite the Hydro Archon’s critical gaze, you maintain a dignified demeanour, unwilling to let her judgement dampen your already heavy heart.
Neuvillette intervenes before Lady Furina can continue her scrutiny. “Lady Furina, the wedding reception commences in fifteen minutes. I kindly request you save your critiques for another time.” His protective stance shields you momentarily, prompting you to seek out Sedene amidst the commotion.
You venture further into the hall, and to your satisfaction, find them giggling with baskets in their hands, their dresses a perfect blue against the backdrop of the glass architecture. Bands of joyous light peek stream through the windows, casting a sheen against the silk of your dress.
The Melusines pause in their chatter, their eyes widening in admiration as you approach. “Madame!” they exclaim, encircling you in excitement. Their gentle inspection of your dress brings a fleeting sense of satisfaction amidst everything.
However, Sedene’s gasp and concerned inquiry shatters the brief respite. “What happened?”
You attempt nonchalance, replying, “What do you mean?”
“Let's put that aside for the moment, shall we? What's important is that you look your best,” Sedene declares, determined. She leads you to the dressing room, where makeup supplies are scattered in a chaotic array, likely the result of others' hurried preparations. You note the various shades of lipstick and the slightly uncomfortable puckering of the Melusines’ lips all likely because such application of the cosmetic was in a rush. Sedene works swiftly, applying powder to salvage what remains of your makeup, her movements deft and purposeful.
After a brief pause of silence, you rub your hands against either side of your arms in an attempt to find warmth. Sedene prompts your eyes to close, and you hear her tap her brush against an eyeshadow palette. A familiar softness of a brush swipes over your eyelids, the quiet bringing the Melusine to hum jubilantly in tandem with the strokes.
You hear the door creak open, but the brush lingering on your eyelid has you still, unable to move. “Ah. There you are,” the voice says, a middle ground between panic and relief.
Your lips pull upwards in sardonic spite. “Yes, Monsieur Neuvillette, I am well aware that we have but a few minutes left — but won’t you give your fianceé a few minutes of solace before she walks down the aisle with you? You can have her all you want until you grow tired of it.”
Satisfaction courses through you when your response is met with a tense hush, abuzz with silence that dances like errant shadows against the walls. “What, cat got your tongue?”
“No, no, certainly not. We shall rendezvous by where we met Lady Furina, if you do not mind.”
What difference would it make if you did, in fact, mind? Could time, against its natural course, be reversed at the hands of a clock at your beck and call?
“I have no problem with that. Now, if you would excuse me.”
Neuvillette acquiesces, and this you know from the way the pad of his boot clicks against the cement instead of the wood tiling the floors of the room, each step a catalyst for the brimming tautness.
The frantic brush of the trail of his coat twirls the strands of your hair and you make no interest in fixing it. Response would be idle, a futile attempt at salvaging the rubble of whatever the two of you have.
And with almost no regard for the now tense quietude, Sedene resumes her putting on of your makeup. You think you can almost slip this under the rug for how easily a quarrel like this could go under Sedene’s nose — but it appears that you forget that naivety comes with a lack of filter.
“Neuvillette tells me you aren’t entirely fond of him.”
A wrinkle forms between your brows and your eyelids push against the brush that hovers above it. “What?”
A hand in which she holds nothing comes to fly over her mouth. “Was I not supposed to say that?”
You scoot further into the stool, the rustle of your dress leaving the ground. I suppose this discussion has come earlier than anticipated, the thought is rueful, a catalyst that weighs you down just as much as your dress. “You're not wrong,” you finally admit; though your voice is soft, only the most adept of hearing would hear the edge that cuts a thin abrasion through the air. “But fondness is a luxury I've learned to live without.”
“You make it seem like he had committed a crime,” Oh, how vicious of a contrast. But what he had done to you, it might as well be.
“It’s… complicated, Sedene. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Oh, dear,” Sedene murmurs, shifting eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks alike into an arranged array, the mess you were once greeted with now left with no trace to a crime.
You shake your head, bitterness possessing the shift in your bearing. “I do not need your pity,” you assert, though the words feel hollow even to your own ears. “What matters is that this must go on. For however long it wills to.” With practised ease, you straighten your posture, a facade of composure settling over you like a second skin.
Sedene nods slowly, her gaze thoughtful. “As long as you're alright,” she says softly, her concern palpable.
“I always am,” you reply, exhaling a shaky breath you hope goes unnoticed by the Melusine in front of you.
You hear someone (or something) scurry past the door, and Sedene promptly peeks from your side, her eyes widening before she waves at whoever it is.
“Who…?”
“Kiara has just gone to usher the guests. You must go. It is nearly time,” Sedene's voice breaks the tranquillity, grounding you back to the horror you find reality. With a shaky breath, you steel yourself for what lies ahead, drawing upon the fleeting moments of solace and camaraderie within the dressing room as you prepare to face the orchestrated spectacle awaiting outside.
____
The bouquet of flowers thrust into your hand by Lady Furina slips slightly in your hold, and you await behind the grand doors of the hall, except there is no one to guide you through the aisle. A sudden, icy cool works from your fingertips, the cause of your own fault.
Frost accumulates at the bottom of the wrapped posy, but you crush it before it festers any further up the stems. The glow of your vision is the sole source of light that falters in tandem with the flutter of your heartbeat, and you recognise it well — it does not stem from excitement; rather, from an overwhelming confusion of impending doom.
Aeife and Aeval come to hold the train of your dress, Sedene and Kiara, ever giddy, come to stand in front of you — one, holding a basket of flowers, and the other, meticulously protecting the rings in the palms of her hands.
The colloquy breaks off as a beam of light peeks through a crack in the door. Before you can make a name for yourself as a runaway bride, the gasps of all almost succeed in shattering your resolve — but you swallow, choosing to use it as a vessel to fuel the unwavering smile that comes to paint over your lips. You feel it creep up to the squint of your eyes, but the only receiver of the sting happens to be the man standing high and mighty at the end of the aisle.
You can almost hear the judging hushes of ‘an orphaned bride?’ and its more degrading counterparts stirring from the crowd. Keys of a piano start in a rapid crescendo, arpeggios drowning out the whispers of condemnatory tones regarding the absence of the man next to you.
But scandal is what fuels the people, you conclude, a more stirring, grim smile coming to twitch at the corners of your lips.
Kiara skips down the aisle, opening the way with flowers, excitedly giggling as she makes her way through the stretch.
Every step you take towards the man that you have come to hold in a loathful regard grows more weighted with hesitance.
You reach the steps, catching a glance of Clorinde and Wriothesley sitting beside each other, along with a woman you do not recognise clad in a black dress, blonde hair tied neatly with a ribbon.
Helping yourself with your trail, you bring yourself to level your gaze with your future husband, eyes flickering in uncertainty, his mirroring yours.
(You try to ignore the absolute excuse of a woman officiating the wedding to your left, but you cannot.)
Lady Furina’s eyes dart between the both of you with a childlike wonder, a growing grin showing teeth flashing in the rising sun; cruel, but a smile nonetheless. “Ladies and gentlemen, today we are here to witness the most influential of marriage unions Fontaine has ever seen! Please, provide your utmost respect.”
A light courtesy of clapping incites from her very words, and through the very edges of your peripheral vision you see her cant her head to the side, basking in the pleasure.
Her loud, and debatably authoritative voice drops to a whisper, as the smile she dons stays picture perfect — a smile, that to the naked eye, would appear that she is soundless and simply happy. “Please tell me you memorised your vows.”
You do not give her the satisfaction in turning your head to her; instead, it stays fixed in place, taking in the man that stands as stiff as a rod in front of you, further fueling the confident tilt of your chin.
“Why, of course,” you start, “But we must proceed now, or they will grow suspicious. Surely you must agree, mon amant?”
Neuvillette blinks, shaking him of his stupor. He appears awfully dazed, the distinct authority you know that applied exclusively to the Chief Justice pools at his feet, disrobed him clean. He takes your hands in his, the agonising act of a real, authentic smile coming to oppose his duty as the ever impartial.
“I, Monsieur Neuvillette, take you to be my wife, promising to hold you close from this day onward, through every joy and every challenge, in times of plenty and times of scarcity, in sickness and in health. I vow to love you deeply and cherish our bond, knowing that nothing but death itself can part us.” The words leave like a burden, and you take it with morbid conclusion that the words you must say will have you linked inextricably with him, no matter the farce.
“I…I take you, Neuvillette, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, through better or worse, through richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; until death parts us.” You let out a defeated sigh, the only aspect of your form that betrays the rest of your otherwise joyous mannerism.
Lady Furina’s eyes light up with a brightness of a thousand fires, exuberance radiating from her despite her affinity with water. “Monsieur Neuvillette, will you take her to be your partner through life? Will you love her, protect her, and spend your days in laughter together forever?”
His grip on your hands tightens a little, the friction of glove against glove exuding a warmth that snakes up to the tip of your spine. “I do.”
“And to the bride,” her gaze fixes on yours, intense like a hawk's to its prey, “will you take Neuvillette to be your partner through life? Will you love him, cherish him, and pledge your days to laughter and love for all eternity?"
A thousand rational voices come to scream in response. No! they say, objecting to the very idea of it. It sickens you, that in all your years of living, that this is how you are to be wed; forcefully, stripping you of all sense of control. But alas, who are you to make that choice? The sole influence you hold over Fontaine’s population is but a fraction of the people's devotion towards the Hydro Archon. It would mean nothing of your rebellion.
“I do,” are the words that spill like poison from your lips, betraying your own autonomy, betraying the promise you vowed to yourself that night, hidden in your closet.
Sedene eyes you with pity as she presents the rings, but you dismiss it with a quick glance away pretending to find interest in the way the clouds swarm above the glassed roof.
He makes a calculated move to lift your right hand, making sure of the absence of an engagement ring that lies in your left (he cannot help but be meticulous in handling your cold touch). He then reaches to remove your glove, but you shake your head. No need for that, you order with your eyes alone, and the solemn smile on your lips says just as much. With a knowing nod, his hand slips from your hold, leaving you with nothing but a looser fit for a glove.
You make the intent of no longer meeting his eyes when he slips the ring on, the band of blue an irresistible target for burglars who do not know any better. Though the ring fits like a dream, you cannot say the same for yourself; how do you fit in as a bride? Before being tangled in this rout, the very notion of marriage was a faraway fantasy; a pipe dream. It was, and still is something that only fairy tales could fulfil. Fairytale indeed, for what you face right now is hellish, an arrangement designed primarily for Lady Furina’s own personal gain.
Sedene shuffles to your side, and when you turn to look at her, you can only make out the blonde head of hair from under the pillow where the last wedding ring sits. She pushes it slightly forwards to make for an easier reach, a move that brings the edge of the cushion to touch the tips of your fingers. Hopeless is what can only be described of your effort in bringing the ring to level with the Iudex’s own, admittedly warm hand.
Neuvillette’s gaze bores into yours, and this, you do not need to affirm for yourself; it is truth, as is the word of the law. Your dress shields how you move to steady yourself (because, frankly, you think you might just lose consciousness if you don’t), the probing eyes of those in the crowd a factor you further take into consideration at your own, reckless ambivalence.
The moment this ring pushes against his finger, it will all be set in place — and the final verdict lies in your hands. You briefly entertain the childish notion that you’re almost back as the Acting Chief Justice — though, really, it is a stupid distraction.
And so you bite your own hand, the one that feeds you. The band slips on with troubled attempt, its own reluctance a humorous prospect you amuse yourself to.
Lady Furina's hands shoot out from her sides, buzzing with exhilaration. “Monsieur Neuvillette, the Iudex of Fontaine, and Madame (Name), the Head of Civil Affairs are now officially wed! Put your hands together for this union!” Furina bellows, voice ricocheting off the glass walls of the town hall. This is the only time you revel in her love for spectacle, an uproar of celebration conjured by the command of a god.
Amidst the mass of commemoration lie the most miserable: the newlyweds; the ones, who in all of tradition, should be amongst the completely joyous — and yet, here they stand, rigid and mourning.
What you do next is not by the command of Furina, but of your own volition.
You make the first move to step closer. It is a silent vow you make to your husband. I will not forgive you, but for once, I make an exception, just for this moment. You reach for his tie, fingers tracing the fabric as you pull him close, until the only sound you hear is of the both of you breathing, until you two are nose to nose, foreheads touching.
The longer you stand in such a manner only serves to heighten the thundering acclaim of the crowd, a ceremonious cacophony of anticipation leaving you to marvel at how the rain outside roars a solemn hymn in response.
“I’m sorry,” he murmurs, his voice husky and unfamiliar, as though it hadn’t been used. You forcibly guide his arm around your waist, feeling the warmth of his touch against the cloth of your dress, a silent reassurance, however unideal.
“It is of no consequence, Chief Justice,” you whisper, a breathless act of convincing, a facade you know deceives no one. “The damage has been done.”
a/n: sorry for putting this out so late I got sick midway thru writing this chap[ter LITERALYL almost got admitted cuz my head was pounding like crazy
taglist : @sek0ya, @souxiesun, @11111112222222sblog
#neuvillette x reader#genshinimpact#neuvillette fanfic#neuvillettexreader#neuvillette genshin#neuvillette#furina genshin#genshinblr
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yet another deleted scene (i am literally stalling for time)
chapter is coming this week i promise...im just trying to find the motivation to put words to page rn...please feel free to send me asks about any of my stories, it will probably help me write faster
He has a very nice profile, you thought as you gazed at his chiseled features. It would look very good on coins or cameos.
You instinctively took a step back. “W-what is it, sir?” you stuttered, your heart suddenly beating rapidly. Oh, this is so embarrassing, especially after I teased him for staring at me!
“I called your name several times, but you didn’t answer. Just as I thought, we really should stop for a short rest—”
“There’s no need for that, sir,” you shook your head vigorously. “I was just enraptured by the beauty of the sea.”
The incredibly lame excuse popped out of your mouth before you knew it.
Neuvillette raised an eyebrow. “But you weren’t looking at the sea. You were staring at me.”
I did this to myself. You resisted the urge to bury your head in your hands. Neuvillette was still staring at you intently, but there was a lightness in his gaze, almost like he was amused.
“Well…” you cleared your throat. “I was looking at you…because…because you seemed like you really love the sea. You do, don’t you?”
You wanted to smack yourself in the head. Way to ask the most obvious question in the world!
“I do,” Neuvillette nodded, as though it was a perfectly reasonable question to him. “But that still does not explain why you were staring at me.”
“…I can see why you’re able to stay in your job for so long,” you muttered after a while. “You just can’t let things go.”
“Why, thank you, Madame. Persistence is quite the desirable trait to have in my line of work,” he said. Ah, he’s enjoying this, you thought as you saw the corners of his mouth twitch. “You have yet to answer my question, though.”
You gave him a look, which he returned with a nonchalant stare. You heaved a sigh.
“Fine, if you must know,” you said. “I was staring at you because you have a face that’s interesting to look at. The kind of face that should be minted on coins or depicted in statuary.”
You expected him to be put off by your words, but instead he turned to look at the water’s surface, as though to verify your words by checking his reflection. “An interesting face?” you heard him murmur to himself.
Is he actually unaware of the effect his appearance has on people? You thought as you watched him incredulously. Or maybe he thought I was insulting him?
The second option seemed more likely. You were sure that he was used to more flattering and direct compliments for his looks.
“I-I don’t mean that your face is unattractive, sir,” you began to say, but was cut off when he abruptly turned to you.
“I do not understand why you would prefer to look at me when the sea is right before your eyes,” he said, his voice filled with sincere bafflement. “The scenery is so much more riveting.”
It caught you off guard, sometimes, how seriously he took everything you said.
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so as much as i am entranced with neuvillette's sopping wet cat energy i gotta say that navia absolutely CARRIED the archon quests this patch and it makes me sad we won't possibly see her for the rest of the act except for maybe a cameo at the end :(
#genshin spoilers#4.0 spoilers#archon quest spoilers#fontaine spoilers#genshin impact 4.0#genshin 4.0#genshin 4.0 spoilers#genshin impact spoilers#navia
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Yesssss, yes! Weaponized the stan account.
I hope a conspiracy theorist one day sees Arle's account and like a mad lad, goes out of their way to point out that after each time this account is tagged, something goes wrong with the opposing party mentioned. It's naturally waved off as coincidence, but Arlecchino probably looks into this person and maybe finds someone who remembers? Or not, doesn't really matter. Just an amusing scenario.
She keeps account up until Furina retires, which takes decades with a few breaks here and there. I do love that she's being enabled, gosh, if only those people knew...
You know, with enough blackmail and mutual influence between them, Arlefuri could have their own movies and series dedicated to their romance in various genres. Arlecchino is shameless enough and may or may not be on a power high to show off how they are meant to be once they're together again.
Lyney and Lynette contacting their father with a cypher she will recognize. Hmm, I wonder who else chokes at the sight of Arlecchino and Furina acting on the silver screen together?
The person who connectes the dots is Wriothesley, half joking, half serious. He doesn't remember because neither Arle nor Furina where that important part of his past life for the memories to hit him. Arlecchino just lets him be for now.
I imagine that after getting back together the stan account was slightly less unhinged, peoplr joke that is because of the wife the account owner mention every so often.
Oh, Arle absolutely got them roles as lovers on a few films and series, whether as mains or cameos.
Lyney and Lynette contacting Arlecchino is kinda cute. At leasy going so loud and public worked so her family could find her.
About other people that could see them and remember them, I could see Clorinde if she hasn't reunited with Navia or Wrio first. Maybe Neuvillette, but with him i don't even know if he died in the first place, I can see him surviving the war against Celestia and many centuries more.
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spoilers for neuvillette’s story quest (completed) utc so be mindful if you’re only like halfway through that i’m gonna talk abt the ending !!
HELLO I AM SCREAMING okay so from the moment where sedene is like “a melusine is being threatened and monsieur neuvillette wants to investigate the case himself!!!” i was like OKAY FATHER I SEE YOU PROTECTING UR CHILDREN 🤭🤭
and then kiara ?!!! is so fucking cute i love her so much but the whole time i was like )): ofc the melusines are discriminated against but its so sad - then she called paimon big sis and i was instantly like ((: happi
charlotte cameo !! hi to the fontainian yanfei /j i got so excited i was like OMG CHARLOTTE !! but then she’s talking abt wanting to interview neuvillette but the palais always said no and i’m like we’re friends with him we could just ask him for u 🤨
the whole time talking to charlotte i was like GUYS we’re supposed to be protecting kiara what if something happens while we’re gone 😭 but then there was CLORINDE AND I SCREAMED
talking abt how she regularly gets her clothes custom made by eloffe and i’m like ma’am you need new ones asap that button is gonna pop any time now- 🌚
the entire experience at the fountain had me crying. from seeing carole with neuvillette to seeing carole be a victim of hate crime (something that indescribably familiar and made me both so angry to see (on her behalf) and also upset…) to vautrin’s mild anger when he realised carole had sacrificed herself just for peace ): he saw his deceased little sister in her and so he made the decision to execute everyone who had wronged carole… fucking in tears the whole time
not to mention neuvillette losing carole (which he must have felt guilt for because he’s the one who brought her to the court in the first place) but then he had to do vautrin’s trial for murdering people as an act of revenge and he followed the law and had to say he was guilty even though he was the only person left who was closest to him ?!
and then we get navia ?!?! content i was like damn hoyo is whipping out the GIRLS FOR THIS STORY HUH !!! i screamed when she said spina di rosula were helping !! i was like damn you two are the cutest now after she screamed her feelings at you and you stood at a grave together 🤭
also no one is talking about how he feels emotions from every single aspect of water; the rivers, the rain, everything. this man must be so incredibly overwhelmed by the constant surge of a complete stranger’s emotions..
ALSO EVERYONE DEFENDING THE MELUSINES AND STAYING CLOSE TO THEM AND PROTECTING THEM AND NEUVILLETTE WAS SEEING IT ALL DESPITE HIS FEARS AND I SOBBED
smuggling case 🤨 yeah we read smth on that monsieur ! *hurried tippytaps back to the palais while wiping my tears* and then navia found smth ?! MA’AM HOW QUICK DO THE SPINA DI ROSULA WORK- fucking underground mob asses /j
and then 🌚 we’re going to the fortress?! and i gasped and got so excited like omg we’re going to my husband’s office 🥰🥰 and the way he greeted us and paimon was like “we’re back!” I LAUGHED SO LOUD
wriothesley hinting at using physical force on the dude threatening melusines and i literally looked at my screen like
but then neuvillette was like “wriothesley.” and i was like LMAOOO WE HAD THE SAME REACTION NEUVI 😭😭 sorry for my husband we forget hes a FUCKING CRIMINAL TOO.
had the biggest BURST OF JOY SEEING SIGEWINNE THATS MY BABY MY SWEET ANGEL MY EVERYTHING AAAAA 💙
when we were talking to the members of the mutual aid network and they mentioned their first president from over four hundred years ago and i sat here with the saddest expression like “vautrin?? 🥹” bc the badges were designed after the medal of peace badges ):
GOING BACK TO WRIO’S OFFICE
sir had the audacity to stand there looking sooooo fucking hot in the centre of the room like hello i’m !!!?!!!?? i’ll have dinner on the table wrio i swear
i literally zoned this part out staring at wrio and giggling over him folding his arms across his chest 🥰
neuvillette learning from wrio that vautrin didn’t hate him and i just… sobbing loudly. the whole story i was just sobbing over neuvillette feeling as though he is an outsider even in today’s society but the society had reformed from that of four hundred years ago and it had reformed around him. like he is the centre of fontaine now, he’s their chief justice, the iudex- god i cried again
also wrio offering tea i swear to god husband i’m 😭😭 i would have had tea with you i promise but there was no option )):
taking that walk with neuvillette and LUMINE ACTUALLY SPOKE I SAT UP SO QUICK LIKE OH KY GOD NO ONLY IS IT THE MOST MEANINGFUL THING SAID BUT SHE ACTUALLY SAID IT TO HIM
the cutscene !!!! officially one of my favourites in the entire game 🥹 (alongside the wriothesley one in the archon quest with clorinde, neuvillette’s archon quest one and kokomi’s arrival in the archon quest) when it started raining and the kid came out to say hydro dragon hydro dragon don’t cry !! ):
and lumine and paimon smiling at him and he smiles too and the rain clears up (that shot of the sun coming out over the opera was GORGEOUS i’m so impressed with how much genshin’s graphics have improved since launch!!) and the PUDDLES ON THE GROUND !!!!
charlotte finally getting that interview she wants so badly scheduled and she’s so excited and thanks him !!! and then just all three women stood there together ?? i took photos of them ofc omg navia and clorinde together- but if you talk to them and charlotte is basically fangirling and clorinde is just like “just write all your questions now, he’ll decline all the ones he can’t answer so it’s worth a shot anyways” 🥹
KIARA SLEEPING !!! crying he’s such a parent to them i cannot
and then FINALLY the reply note to his absence note on his desk from furina!!! my wife had her cameo <3 in the sweetest of ways, asking if he’d finally woke up and decided to go outside and he should follow her footsteps more and do it more often - and that it doesn’t matter if something bad happens because you’ll meet plenty of characters along the way
and if you talk to him behind his desk he’s like “what am i supposed to do with her” 🥹🥹🥹
for the record i will be vocal stimming furina’s “oh me, oh my” in that reply note for the rest of eternity <3
i’m so forreal that this is my favourite story quest ever, perhaps because i could relate to it but it also shows that in my opinion not a single fontaine character hates the other as of right now. lyney specifically has no bad blood with anyone; he seems to clear it up with wriothesley and sigewinne in the archon quest but having clorinde, navia and charlotte together talking just like a group of friends and they all came together on their own accord to help neuvillette and even furina’s cameo in her reply note shows that she has some assortment of care for his wellbeing and how he shuts himself away. it was incredibly heartwarming to have each fontaine character have a cameo in some form and other than arlecchino telling the fontaine siblings to keep an eye on neuvillette, they all had positive interactions and intentions.
i’m sorry but fontaine is my favourite and it will always be my favourite, nothing can top the amount of love i have for neuvillette’s story quest. that was the best thing that’s ever happened in this game <3
#furina.txt#< making that my rambles tag#this was longer than expected bc i covered the whole story quest but#fuck nothing is ever going to top that#not even wriothesley’s story if we get it#i cried for the whole thing and i’m going to proceed to think about it for the rest of my life#https-furina
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the furina trailer cameos are interesting because they seem to invert the actuality of fontaine's plot threads.... lynette is the showman, lyney is the assistant. childe is chased down by melusines, guilty by human verdict, rather than by the oratrice. neuvillette and navia do not reconcile and she watches as hes escorted away for his wrongdoings. wriothesley and clorinde are duelling, rather than working together. fontaine really is all about masquerades i suppose
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mark my words i will find a way to give neuvillette a cameo in my mermaid au, it would be too much of a wasted opportunity not to !!!
#favoritism </3#can u imagine it tho i think it’d be a different but very cute dynamic :’ )#obviously not in the main plotline but like#omg u guys don’t know how stuck i am for next part like head EMPTY#i have the end just the middle part is so ahskrlglgl#but i have so many thoughts (& thots hehe) for like extras on da side#SIGH#— 𝓭𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓼
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Hellooo. What are your thoughts on this year's lantern rite?
I hope you're good! <33
Hello! ^^
I'm relatively a very new fan. I only started playing the summer of 2023, so I haven't had the chance to participate in the even yet. Since starting playing I have heard a lot about Lantern Rite though and was, predictably, very excited. But I found this year's Lantern Rite to be a bit underwhelming.
The first two parts of the quest were kind of a drag and I honestly hardly remember what even happened there beyond kite-making and some exposition of Gaming's backstory, but the third made me actually laugh at times. Xianyun's and Shenhe's conversation was hilarious, and I thought Gaming's whole storyline was pretty cute. So was the interaction between Xiao and Zhongli. Day three was great! Then day four was also kind of a downer. It seems strange to introduce Fontaine characters only for them to barely do anything, but maybe it was worth it just for Neuvillette being extremely cute about the Traveler liking his silly ladle. I think there was a lot that could have been done with both Furina and Neuvillette in Liyue, but all we really got that was interesting was Zhongli avoiding Neuvi and some Neuvi characterization (why did we get this in a Liyue event, tho?). The former we didn't even see! We heard about it second-hand!
I thought Lantern Rite would be more, I dunno, cool. From what I've seen of it (I have not yet had an opportunity to see all the previous Lantern Rites in full), it's associated with lore drops and with developing Liyue's characters and their dynamics, especially Xiao. I did like Xiao's cameo and the little date you get with him after Lantern Rite, but I wish we got more. Though maybe we won't ever be seeing him as prominently because his arc about opening up to the Traveler and others seems to have reached some kind of wrap.
Overall, the story just didn't focus on things I cared about. Sure, Gaming is cute, but I don't care about him so much as to want a whole 3-parter quest dedicated to him. And the quest didn't make him grow on me that much.
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Fontaine thoughts:
Love Furina! She’s got just as much chaotic energy as I knew she would, however, one thing that a lot of people thought is that she would be completely amoral and merciless in her judgments of everyone around her. Even though she is quite impulsive and egotistical, she clearly felt embarrassment and even remorse for accusing an innocent person of murder, demonstrated by her maturity in the following trial. I’m curious to see where her character goes, and I wanna have a private conversation with her since all our talks have been in public so she’s always been using a dramatic persona.
Not sure what to think of Lyney and Lynette after all that. Them being in the fatui was a really good plot twist. I think they do genuinely think they’re doing the right thing, and given their backstory it makes sense why they’d trust the house of hearth and the knave, but this means that we might end up on opposing sides when it comes down to stealing the gnosis. Honestly, if I believed Arlecchino really would help the people of Fontaine with it, I wouldn’t have a problem, Furina doesn’t seem to be doing much with it, but obviously the fatui have ulterior motives. I just hope the twins find out they’re being deceived before we have to fight them. Very excited to see them again and I’m definitely still pulling for Lyney.
About their backstory… they never mentioned Freminet. Im assuming that he’s not their biological brother, but I still have questions. When did they take him in? Is he an orphan too? Does he know they’re fatui? What does he think of it? Is he from the house of hearth too? I need more than his 2 minute cameo!!! Where is my boy?!
Traveler’s kind of a hypocrite though, judging the twins for being fatui even with good intentions while being amicable frienemies with mr. impulsively violent fatui harbinger.
I don’t like Childe and seeing him get cocky and then get his ass beat again was nice (also I thought that I saw Furina stand up to stop him so when the smoke cleared and it was Neuvillette I was shocked). But I don’t think he deserved to be imprisoned for something he didn’t do. It’s weird how much people trust that oritrice to make final judgements. They’re putting people’s lives and fates in the hands of some machine. I knew it would malfunction when judging Childe, hearing that it never went against Neuvillette was like Chekhov’s gun. The oritrice has definitely captured my interest.
The trials themselves were incredible. Trials in real life are so boring, but I can see now why the people of Fontaine think of trials as stories. I got serious whiplash, especially from the first trial, but the whole back and forth made it really interesting. Also the logic chain and rebuttal mechanics were really cool. I love that they’re getting more into interactive elements like that, I hope that they do more stuff like this in the future.
The cutscenes were incredible. The Clorinde fight was beautiful but I think my favorite was Lynsey’s switching trick. Having the tension being built by Lyney’s purposely staged panic just to mess with the audience and then revealing that actually everything went fine just as the tank came crashing down! My jaw dropped at that part. I don’t think genshin ever murdered anyone on screen before. It surprised me even though I already knew what would happen from the trailer. I thought the accident with the tank would happen with Lynette’s trick, I think that was intentionally misleading. They have so many good red herrings and foreshadowing in this!
Don’t really have any opinions on Neuvillette. Don’t really get the hype for him. But I do know that he’s a dragon. I love how they sort of sprinkle in the clues for that gradually. I first talked to the melusine at the opera door and she said he had been nice to them for hundreds of years and I was like weird but okay. Then I saw him up close and his eyes, ears, and hair antennae things. And later I noticed that it always rained when Neuvillette was sad, like how Freminet said it would spontaneously rain when the hydro dragon was sad. But Neuvillette works with Furina and tolerates her. I thought the primordial dragons hated the gods considering y’know they stole their land and places as the rulers of Teyvat. I guess I am kind of interested in Neuvillette from that perspective.
The only part I did feel bored during was the first half of act 2. I think I know the reason for that. I like Navia, but I don’t love her. She’s a great person and a great character, but she’s not the kind of character that I’m personally interested in. She also isn’t nearly enough to shoulder an entire archon quest act on her own. Act 2 felt less like an archon quest and more like a Navia story quest. The first act was mainly about Lyney and Lynette, but it also prominently featured Furina, Neuvillette, and Navia herself. The second act we spent almost all of our time with Navia which quickly become mundane. Besides her there were very short cameos from Clorinde and Neuvillette, and then at the very end with the trial there was Furina, Neuvillette, Childe, and briefly Clorinde. About 90% of it was just with Navia though. I just wish there were more characters both so that we could get a fresh dynamic and a break from Navia and also that other characters can get a chance to have some screentime. Between her being prominently featured in the first act and being the main character of the second, I hope Navia takes a back seat for the rest of the archon quest and lets some other characters have the spotlight. I believe this would probably happen because it feels like Navia’s part of the story has concluded with getting justice for her father. Again, I liked the story, I just wish there was more to it than Navia.
The land scenery and architecture are pretty cool, but the oceans blew me away. There’s so much to see about them! I can also tell they took people with a fear of the ocean into mind because underwater it’s incredibly bright and well light all the way down to the sea floor, unlike the real oceans which are terrifying and foreboding underneath. Also as a former sky cotl player, I’m very grateful that genshin doesn’t have oxygen/something that functions like it and we can explore unlimited, and that the swimming controls actually work really well. And the underwater combat is fun. I like that we can’t use our characters abilities and have to rely on our surroundings.
As I thought they threw 40 different puzzle mechanics at us at once and now the tutorials for them are all buried under each other in my menu and I don’t know how any of them work. I’ll have to figure them out at some point if I plan on getting all the hydroculi. I heard there are gonna be as many as Sumeru. I don’t even have half the ones in Sumeru.
Not loving the new combat thing with the opposing energies, whatever they’re each called, ouija and pneumonia or something. Especially since I don’t know how to work their puzzles. I think they only implemented them because they felt like they needed something that would totally shake the meta like the introduction of dendro did, so they just gave Fontaine their own special combat boost. I don’t actually know how good the new system is for meta, haven’t heard anything about it. Maybe that’s just because there’s only 2 Fontaine characters out now.
#traveler from another world ✨#genshin#genshin impact#genshin fontaine#fontaine#genshin 4.0#genshin spoilers#fontaine spoilers
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Misc. 4.2 Archon Quest Predictions
I'm vaguely aware of how Furina and Neuvillette's little... power struggle? Is going to be resolved thanks to leaks, but until then -
I think the Gnosis is in the Oratrice. It's the reason why Fontaine's Justice system functions Like That, as well as why they can convert Belief into Power. After Sumeru's Akasha system, that makes the most sense to me.
That doesn't account for why Furina doesn't seem like an Archon, since not having her Gnosis didn't really bother Ei, so I assume she also put part of herself (?) or her authority as Archon (?) in the Oratrice as well. I don't know what exactly she did to herself, but it should be related to the Oratrice. Or depending on when the Oratrice was made, the previous Hydro Archon Did Something and Furina is saddled with it.
The Oratrice being wrapped up with the Gnosis and the Hydro Archon this way is why Neuvillette honours its judgments - even when Childe has been found guilty.
I don't expect Navia, Clorinde, Wriothesely, Lyney/Lynette or Freminet to do much more than help the people of Fontaine evacuate when the waters rise. Navia has her weird boat-shaped base, Wrio is building his own Ark, the twins+Freminet have the Magic Pockets. I'd be shocked if we got anything else from them.
I'd be shocked if Charlotte even shows up in 4.2 outside of maybe writing a news article on what happened at the end.
I really have no idea what Childe will do. Leaks from ages ago said he had no speaking lines in 4.1 and 4.2, and while he definitely didn't in 4.1 he was still present and... said things, I guess. He's definitely present in the 4.3 trailer, so maybe he'll just appear in cutscenes to fight whatever the new boss is, help hold it off for a little while or whatever, get knocked out, and then we have to step in to finish the job.
No idea what will happen with the Vision. Maybe he'll fuck off into the Abyss with Skirk and we'll keep holding onto it (lmao). It's such a weird point that we got it. I wonder if it's just to justify the Childe dream-sharing. That feels like a plot element they might want to keep around?
Who knows about Skirk. She might just be a cameo or she might dump some lore and bounce. I don't think she'll stick around after this.
We won't fight Arlecchino. I assume we would have heard something about her boss battle by now if we did. We might just end up teaming up with her entirely in this patch to fight the Abyss.
Despite the hype for the trial in the trailer, I don't think they're going to make us do another one. I hope they don't. I seriously really fucking hope they do not. Please.
So far, I've been really unimpressed with Fontaine. Unlike Sumeru, there are a lot of plot elements present in this region that could have really worked for me but so far they've flubbed every single one.
Ch1 was tedious right up until the trial, and the trial was terribly written; ch2 and ch3 were extremely poorly thought out filler that failed to use the playable cast members in meaningful ways; ch4 was... passable, if an extremely boring way to make use of all the players in Meropide. Though at that point I also just wanted to be out of Meropide.
Fuck Meropide.
I don't really expect ch5 to be a meaningful improvement, but if they can do some fun stuff with Childe I'll at least enjoy that much.
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we haven't interacted before but
HELLO?? let out the BIGGEST gasp ever 😦i feel like one of those editors who got noticed by character vas hiiii i love ur writing sm /pos anyways hides have a lovely day
NAURR PLSSS YOU ARE TOO KIND T^T i ain't worth all the hype, but i loved ur neuvi fic !! something about that old man pining after someone painfully makes me hehe. it was very well written too, i think a reader who loves to travel around teyvat makes such an interesting dynamic with neuvillette, and that distilling water detail made me laugh icel. i loved the wriothesley cameo too!! thank u for sharing ur fics to tumblr, it was an honour to read ^-^
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in danger, sinking deeper in your arms
neuvillette x gn!reader
summary: Everyone in Fontaine is talking about the sudden arrest of a member of the worldwide crime organization, praising everyone involved for their hard work, not knowing the truth behind the trial. But you do, and soon you are thrown into another mysterious case, where this time, the safety of people you care the most about is on line.
tags: PART 1. modern au, neuvillette is a judge and you are a detective! enstablished relationship, it is kind-of-a murder mystery and injuries are mentioned but nothing too graphic + mentioned blood, a small reference to a fontaine world quest. ft furina cameo
notes: happy new years happy christmas december was not my month BUT I MANAGED to finish this fic anyway <;3 @theother-victoria hello. im your @favonius-library secret santa although a late one. first of all i am sorry that this fic took so long but unfortunately... life happened. and i wish i finished it faster, but </3 i decided to split this into two parts also because... you know to rush a fic with some actual plot would just ruin the quality and i didnt want that </3 please don't eat me up for any inaccurate things regarding law because this is fontaine. and my fic /j anyways whew! i shall now pass out. this is also my second time writing neuvie so uhadgdds goodnight!
“A member of the biggest worldwide crime organization, known as Fatui, has been sentenced to jail in Fontaine’s court”, said the big, bold letters on the first page of The Steambird.
It was the biggest sensation of the month– no, one could say of the year in the nation of justice, and only now it has been revealed to the public light. Everyone has been working in the shadows for the past weeks, trying their hardest to find any clues, evidence, and pointers, ultimately succeeding none of this would have happened if not for the group effort of the police and the amazing prosecution team, namely the lead prosecutor, ms. Furina. Judge Neuvillette, the greatest judge this place saw in its entire existence, has made the sentence, and many started to believe that with this trial, a new era would start and an end would be brought upon the horrible crimes of Fatui.
The jailed man— whose name they didn’t publish— would spend his nearest days in the Fortress of Meropide, where after finishing his sentence for the crimes he committed in Fontaine, he would be sent to Snezhnaya, to answer for his other crimes. before the judge of his homeland.
That was what people believed, and they had no reason to not. No one would lie to them about such thing, after all, and Judge Neuvillette was known for fair sentences, they all trusted him.
How unfortunate it was, that so much about this trial, the biggest sensation of the year was… simply not real. Fabricated for the public, and the harsh truth was under the rug, just waiting to be uncovered by some curious eye.
You were a detective, working specially for the Court of Fontaine. Your agency was personally picked by Neuvillette to work with him, ensure the security of the court members, and help with more stubborn cases that needed more special force to be solved.
It seemed crazy to you when you first joined, to work with the most known judge in Fontaine… and it still was crazy that you got blessed with such a chance from the universe, yet complained none.
Your agency was asked to help the police with the case of arresting Ajax— codename Tartaglia— and while you weren’t the main detective for this particular case, you heard and saw enough and none of this was as pretty as they tried to portray it to the public.
Because no one really knew if he was guilty.
The evidence, yes, pointed toward him, but then so many things pointed to the possibility that the evidence was false, put by someone wanting to frame Tartaglia. You were the first to reject this theory, not believing that anyone was even able to frame a criminal like him. And even if so, you were sure he would get an amazing attorney that would defend him with even more fabricated evidence, or that someone would just bail him out of jail, but—
None of this happened. Worse, the lead prosecutor, ms. Furina, received a threat to get a guilty sentence for the man, no matter what it would take.
Disobedience would be punished, the letter said. It was decided to do as the letter asked, both for the sake of everyone and most importantly, Furina’s safety, but also to shut down the blackmailer’s alertness.
Everything was carefully arranged by someone, and you all were just actors in someone’s biggest play of their life.
It was… gods. Terrible, to say the least. The blackmailer’s identity stayed unknown, as they disguised their letter as a government official one and made sure to not be found, and your team still was debating on the credibility of the evidence you all found. Everything pointed toward that it was fabricated, but nothing proved that it was, and if someone was genuinely just playing a stupid joke to cast the shadow of doubt, or mess with your investigation, then they were doing an amazing job.
Even Furina seemed a little off in your eyes, the smallest spark of her confidence gone when she herself wasn’t sure if anything she presented in court was real.
(Not to mention that Tartaglia shouldn’t be put on trial here, but in Snezhnaya. Something, something about international laws.)
There was nothing left for you than to wait for any move in the case, for any possible hint toward the mastermind and truth.
Just for how long you would have to wait?
It was early morning when you woke up to your phone ringing, a bit before your regular wake-up hour. Still half-asleep, you grabbed the device and, not even checking who it was calling, you picked up the call and was greeted by your co-worker’s voice bordering on screaming.
“[Name]! For gods’ sake, finally!” She half-screamed into your ear and you winced.
“‘nd no good morning even?” you mumbled, your brain foggy with sleep. Why was she even screaming so early?
“This is the third time I called so no, no good morning to you,” Came her quick reply, “Get up, someone found a corpse right at the courthouse’s doorstep.”
That woke you up instantly.
You jumped on your bed, throwing away your duvet and scrambling to get up, “Whose?! And— why on earth is there a corpse in the first place?!”
The order of your questions seemed a little out of place, but you barely cared. You walked quickly to your closet, grabbing the first pants and shirt you found under your hand.
“Good questions, I was about to ask you the same,” Your friend deadpanned and you could already imagine the judgemental raise of her eyebrows, “We can't... exactly recognize the victim. Whoever killed them had quite the fun with it..."
You gulped at the mental image alone of what was waiting for you. “This is fucking shit. Who found the corpse?”
“Ms. Furina found the body, called for sir Neuvillette, he called for me and I called for the rest, so police. And you, because I don’t want to deal with this case alone.”
You stopped buttoning up your shirt for a moment.
“...and for that, you are getting your ass moving and picking me up,” You said lightly to your phone. If not for your godsdamned friend, you still would be resting in bed! Maybe preparing to get out of it, but in bed nonetheless.
Still, another part of you was happy that she called you out of all people.
“No?!” Your friend retorted, “Don’t you have a car?”
“At mechanics.”
“Call a cab, then?”
“At this hour?”
There was a moment of silence before you heard from your friend something that sounded like a tired groan and something like ‘yes, whatever, I’ll pick you up’.
“You’re so nice, love you!” you cooed into the phone and ended the call.
Now dressed, you went to the kitchen to at least eat something, because you weren’t even sure if you would have enough time to get anything to drink.
A corpse was found under the courthouse’s doors, barely a few days after the trial ended. Who could possibly do it?
The blackmailer, as you all started calling the author of the letter only spoke about punishment in case Tartaglia was found innocent, and he wasn’t. Neuvillette and Furina did as they were asked.
A thought appeared in your mind that maybe the corpse was just a message some kind of, or a warning— but from who?
You stood in the kitchen, lazily chewing the sandwich (if you could call it) as you thought.
If not from the letter sender, then from who? And was it a warning message in the first place? Or maybe it was just a coincidence, although in that you would not believe, no matter what?
Whatever the answer was, you would find it.
You arrived at the crime scene fifteen minutes later, in your friend’s car. She filled you up on any details she missed on the phone, but she didn’t know much either.
Around the corpse were people already, so you could run first into asking around what happened. Neuvillette and Furina were standing a little away from the group, the woman visibly unsettled, despite the act she was putting on. Neuvillette had a firm hand on her shoulder, in the gesture of comfort.
You fought down a smile and walked up to them.
“Hello.” You nodded shortly to them, “Are you two alright?”
You winced internally at your own question. Furina didn’t look alright, of course she was not.
“Yes, we are alright.” Came Neuvillette’s answer, saving Furina from having to talk.
There was something about Neuvillette that not everyone knew. A little secret between you two that no one else knew.
“Mhm, that’s good to hear… Miss Furina, you were the one to find the body, yes?”
“Yes!” she exclaimed, “I came here and saw a man lying under the doors, and when I walked closer…”
She trailed off, covering her mouth with her hand. You didn’t look at the body, but… from your friend’s description and Furina’s reaction, it must have been a terrible, view.
“I can imagine it must have been quite the shock for you,” you sighed, internally shivering at the mental image in your head.
You asked her some more questions, noting everything in your mind. You kept them short, before letting her walk away from the crime place.
She saw no one around when she arrived, too panicked to look for anyone. It wasn’t a problem though, because you clearly remembered that there was a surveillance camera and the front doors were in its range. Someone would just have to check the recordings.
The police that arrived here were busy, your friend was talking with Furina and it was just you and Neuvillette. You gave him a quick glance before looking away.
“...how is Furina?” you asked, voice a tad quieter, a tad softer, now that you two were alone. You were close enough with Furina to drop the formalities and chat over cake and tea in your free time.
“She’s shaken, but well,” Neuvillette said, “She hid in her car upon discovering the body and called for me.”
“Smart,” you mumbled to yourself. She had no way to know if the murderer was still there, after all. You only wondered why she called Neuvillette instead of the police, but you figured that was just… her being herself.
Actually, you wondered about two things.
“...it isn’t in her style to be this early, though.” You looked at Neuvillette to see him give you a short nod.
“She said that she wanted to work on paperwork and cut the topic short.”
“Huh.” You furrowed your eyebrows slightly. That sounded unlike her, actually, “Do you really believe she would wake up this early to fill out some documents?”
You admired her greatly, but after working for so long alongside her and Neuvillette, you knew it was uncommon for her to act like that.
“It is unlike her, yes. I decided not to press further, not wanting to overwhelm her. She was already stressed enough because of discovering the body.”
You nodded and hummed to yourself.
“Do you… maybe have any idea why this all happened?” You raised your eyebrows at him, “Or, well, a theory?”
“I do not wish to jump into assumptions, but I believe this might be related to Fatui themselves. An important member of their organization got sentenced to jail, after all."
It was one of your theories, too. No one else fit the murder as much as the organization did.
"Could it be some sort of a warning?" you suggested. It wouldn’t be the first time Fatui did something so… unnecessarily violent to show a message. You hoped it wasn’t the case.
Neuvillette stayed silent for a moment, deep in thought before replying solemnly.
"I fear yes.”
You let out a heavy sigh. That… that was complicating everything so much. None of you was yet sure if it was Fatui’s doing, but if yes…
“If this… murder is related to Tartaglia’s case, then protecting Furina should be one of our priorities,” you said after a moment, the softness of your voice disappearing, letting firmness take its place, “She was the lead prosecutor for this case after all. It won’t hurt to take precautions, no matter who really stands behind this.”
Since everyone was still busy with their jobs, you reached out your hand to grab Neuvillette’s and give him a quick squeeze, dropping it right after.
“But I’m sure she’ll be fine either way, don’t worry.” You smiled warmly, lowering your voice and his own lips curled into a smile after a moment.
“...thank you,” he replied, also lowering his voice to keep this moment between you two.
The secret you shared was a warm feeling between you two, adoration and love shyly blooming in your hearts.
It started as stolen glances, unsure if you were even allowed to look at him like that. But then you once caught his own glance on you, and from that on, something started to bloom between you two.y Yet because of your jobs, you both had to be careful.
Neuvillette was adored by many, of course, you sometimes joked to yourself that you were dating a fontainian celebrity, but so he was hated by the people that he gave a guilty verdict to.
Not all, but enough, and while you didn't have actual enemies like he did, your job as the detective was still putting you at risk.
The glances stayed stolen, but with newfound fondness and warmth.
You opened your mouth to add something, but suddenly your friend called you over. You mouthed an apology to Neuvillette and walked to her.
She was talking with a police officer that was… holding a little, plastic bag, covered in blood. You swallowed.
There was something inside.
Your friend looked at you, a frown on her face.
"The man is missing his tongue and had… this," She pointed at the bag, "shoved in his mouth."
You felt chills appears on your back as you stared at the little bag.
A missing tongue and a plastic bag in its place, with a piece of paper inside it.
That couldn't promise anything good.
You still remembered a certain case from a little ago. You were lucky to usually work on rather… pleasant cases, as in not as brutal and violent as your co-workers would sometimes deal with, but that day, you stumbled upon a certain case. A messy contract with a criminal organization that ended with a man, a lowly The Steambird editor, who not only completely lost his mind, but also… his tongue.
Just like the man from the current case.
All the evidence that you found on the previous man, pointed out that he had an unfortunate deal with Fatui that ended with… well, not his death, but a part of you wondered if it wouldn’t be a better end for him.
You let out a deep breath, groaned, and layed your head on your desk, already tired of today. You truly had quite the luck lately! Curse you and whatever deity was watching over you.
The piece of paper found in the man’s mouth was, obviously, a very nice and kind message, with threats hidden between the lines. That could mean only one thing and it was that the Fatui indeed had a hand in this murder because of the entire Tartaglia case.
You were sure of it, since you had no other pointers and this seemed like the most likely case.
But it also meant that whoever was behind the first letter, was someone entirely else. You didn’t think anyone from Fatui would set up one of them, especially since you heard… surprisingly a lot about Tartaglia. He didn’t seem like someone so easy to throw out and replace.
Who, then?
Assuming it was true that he was framed, who could be powerful enough to frame someone like him? And do it behind Fatui’s back?
Maybe there was a missing part? Well, no, you obviously missed a lot yet. The camera recordings showed a pair of people bringing the man’s corpse under the courthouse’s doors, and then walking away, going inside a car and driving away, their little gift left on the doorsteps.
The victim still had to be identified, the pair of men too and they were vital to the case— you didn’t think they would willingly tell police who ordered them the murder (or if they killed the victim at all!), but maybe…
Assuming they were still alive, that is. You heard enough to let your imagination go wild at what could possibly happen.
…maybe too wild, when sudden anxiety started to blossom in your mind. The current situation was rather unpredictable, in you way you could tell what would happen next, and even with extra protection arranged for Neuvillette and Furina, you couldn’t help but worry about them.
But especially about Neuvillette. You loved him, after all. You didn’t know what would you do if anything ever happened to him.
You looked at your phone. You had currently… some kind of a break. Everything that just happened started to hit you only now, tiredness gnawing at your bones.
You needed some coffee. Something sweet to eat. A moment to collect your thoughts and continue worrying about the case and your lover later.
You took up your phone, and the receiver picked up the call a moment later.
“Neuvillette? Hello?”
“Hello, [name]. Is something the matter?”
Just hearing his voice seemed to raise your spirits a little.
“No, I just wanted to call you…” You smiled sheepishly to yourself and then added, with slight laughter in your voice, "I would invite you for dinner, but with all that happened earlier…"
Although you were planning to ask him out for dinner for some time now, just an evening spent together at your place, there was no time for such things now. It was a great shame, but you hoped that after all this, you two would find a moment of peace together.
For now, a phone conversation had to be enough.
To be honest, you called for no actual reason, more to just listen to his voice and maybe calm your mind a little, so for a moment, you two found yourselves in a comfortable silence.
There was a movie you watched a week ago. It was late when you watched it, you were planning to go to bed but while you were mindlessly switching channels, you saw a movie interesting enough to keep you up for the next hour. By now you forgot the name, but you told him about it either way.
He listened to all your words, even when you stumbled over the plot a few times, backtracking and trailing off when a part of the scene you were describing reminded you of something else.
He had a few of his own comments regarding the plot and certain scenes, like not understanding why people found a certain scene funny— to which you just… shrugged, not knowing either. The scene he mentioned was stupid, really, and yet it made you laugh so much when you first watched it, that even when describing it to him again you couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
A charm of questionable but funny scenes, maybe.
Minutes passed on simply talking, smiling at your phone and laughing. Just talking with him seemed enough to help you recharge, but it also made you a little sad.
With you busy and the worry, already preparing itself to take a longer stay in mind, calls were probably the only way to spend time together like this. It wasn’t enough. You finished talking about the movie, ran out of thoughts to share, a moment passed.
"...you know, you have to be careful too,” you murmured, "I worry someone might try to attack either you or Furina, although I'm not sure if there would be anyone stupid enough to do that…"
You rolled your eyes at your own words. No one would, for sure, but…
"Point is, I still worry."
How could you not?
"You need not to worry, love.” You smiled at his words and soft tone and a part of you could swear he smiled. You hoped he did.
You heard him breathe, preparing to say something else, but at the same moment you heard someone calling out his name in the background, “...my apologies, it appears I am needed somewhere. I will call you later.”
“Sure, take care. I think my break is ending soon anyway,” you sighed, trying your hardest to now show disappointment in your tone.
The call ended after it, and yet you found yourself holding the phone next to your ear for a second, two more before putting it away. Your break was coming to an end anyway, it was about time you got up.
You just hoped that everything would end well.
(And yet soon, you would soon realize that nothing about this case would go well, nowhere close to how you hoped it would, and that your worst thoughts would come true.
But, maybe, just maybe, there still would be a place for a good ending?
You hoped, at least. And you would do everything to bring this case to a good ending.)
taglist: @ryuryuryuyurboat
#astronetwork#favoniuslibrary#・ nouveau livre ˎˊ˗#genshin impact x reader#neuvillette x reader#genshin impact x you#genshin impact imagines#neuvillette x you#gender neutral reader#heia's writin'#i wanna pass out not joking even the hell
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♡┊𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 | 𝟒𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐒 !!
❝ chairs so close and room so small, you and i talk all the night long. meagre this space ( but serves us so well ), we comrades have stories to tell... ❞
𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐀𝐍’𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐒.
— 𝐈 𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔’𝐑𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘. | 𝐉. 𝐊𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐈𝐍. [ 𝐀𝐎𝐓. | 𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐰. | 𝟏𝟕.𝟗𝟒𝐤. ]
𝐜𝐰: nsfw, canonverse, manga spoilers { ch131-139 }, angst. character death, minor slow burn, etc.
— 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑! 𝐒. 𝐆𝐎𝐉𝐎. [ 𝐉𝐉𝐊. | 𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐰. | 𝟔.𝟐𝟓𝐤. ]
𝐜𝐰: college au, fem reader, fuckboy satoru, jealousy, brief nanami cameo, slight angst, unrequited love, previously established relationship, cheating, bf sukuna, etc.
— 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐔𝐍𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐘! | 𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑. [ 𝐇𝐇. | 𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐰. | 𝟓.𝟎𝟎𝐤. ].
𝐜𝐰: dom reader, sub alastor, amab reader ( no pronouns used ), religious sacrilege/blasphemy, brief religious roleplay, non-sex repulsed alastor, crossdressing, etc.
𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐒.
❝ 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮. ❞ ──── [ oikawa tooru. hinata shoyo. etc. ]
❝ 𝐡𝐚𝐳𝐛𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐥. ❞ ──── [ alastor. lucifer morningstar. ]
❝ 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥. ❞ ──── [ dān héng. gepard landau. welt yang. ]
❝ 𝐣𝐮𝐣𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐮 𝐤𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐧. ❞ ──── [ gojo satoru. ryomen sukuna. kento nanami. ]
❝ 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧. ❞ ──── [ eren jaeger. levi ackerman. jean kirstein. erwin smith. mikasa ackerman. etc. ]
❝ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭. ❞ ──── [ zhongli. tartaglia. kaedehara kazuha. diluc ragnivindr. tighnari. xiao. neuvillette. etc. ]
❝ 𝐭𝐨𝐤𝐲𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬. ❞ ──── [ mitsuya takashi. sano manjiro. tachibana naoto. matsuno chifuyu. baji keisuke. ]
❝ 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫. ❞ ──── [ gyuutarou. daki. kamado tanjiro. hashibira inosuke. agatsuma zenitsu. tomioka giyuu. etc. ]
❝ 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐚. ❞ ──── [ aizawa shouta. bakugou katsuki. midoriya izuku. takami keigo. amajiki tamaki. shigaraki tomura. etc. ]
╰┈➤ 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑.
𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒.
𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭.
#𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓.#— masterlist.♡#— haikyuu.♡#— star rail.♡#— hazbin hotel.♡#— jujutsu kaisen.♡#— tokyo revengers.♡#— demon slayer.♡#— attack on titan.♡#— genshin.♡#— my hero academia.♡
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